Foot measuring device



April 15 1952 J. s. DIGATE FooT MEASURING DEVICE Filed April 24, 194?EEE n.-

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@VEL/722517 m A fl.. D CJ. Wu J Patented Apr. 15, 1952 FGOT MEASURINGDEVICE James S. Digate, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Scholl Mfg. Co.,Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New York Application April 24,1947, Serial N o. 743,665

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in a foot measuring device, andmore particularly to a foot measuring device of the character'commonlyreferred to in the trade as a stick to indicate both sizes and widths ofshoes, the device being highly desirable for use in shoe stores and thelike, although the device will have other uses and purposes as will beapparent to vone skilled inthe art.

In the past, many and various types and kinds of foot measuring devices,especially those utilized in shoe stores and the like to ascertain theproper size of shoe for any individual customer, have been developed.One of the disadvantages of these devices heretofore known resided inthe fact that they did not indicate both sizes and widths on the upperface only of the device and with the actuation of only one adjustablemember; and in no instance of which I am aware did a device of thischaracter indicate either sizes or widths in a manner to be readilydiscernibleto the customer without removing the foot from the device.Further, many a device of `this character heretofore known were notdesirably smooth and sanitary in appearance on the foot receivingsurfaces, and 'most frequently such devices were objectionably timeconsuming and difficult to maneuver to ascertain the proper size andwidth of a shoe for an individual customer. In addition, in such devicesthat did indicate both sizes and widths on one surface of the devicesome part of the foot contacts a movable member with the consequentdanger of acci dental movement of the setting when the foot lifted. i i

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instantinvention to provide a foot measuring device that plainly indicates bothsizes and widths directly on the upper surface of the device, andwherein the 'heel and sole of a foot being measured contacts onlypermanently indicates directly both sizes and widths of a foot from thetop of the device with no danger of the setting being accidentallyis'lifted` Also a feature of this invention is the pro` `moved when thefoot vision of a foot measuring device that denotes both sizes andwidths directly without requiring the removal of the foot from thedevice to determine either measurement.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a foot measuringdevice wherein the salesman can readily and easily show a prospectivecustomer the actual size and width of the customers foot while the footremains upon the measuring dev ice.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the provision of afoot measuring device of exceedingly simple construction, that is highlyeconomical to manufacture and very accurate to use.

` A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a footmeasuring device presenting a substantially hard, smooth and cleansurface forthe reception of a customers foot, the surface being easilykept clean so that the device not only is'but also has the appearance ofbeing highly sanitary.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantagesof the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will becomeapparentv from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of afoot measuring device embodying principles of the instant invention i"Figure 2 is a top plan view of the structure of Fig. 1, showing thedevice as used for measuring the size of a foot;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the structure 0f Fig. 1 showing the.device as it would be used for measuring the width of a foot; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional viewV through thedevice takensubstantially as indicated by the line IV--IV of Fig. l, looking in thedirection of the arrows.

As shown on the drawings:

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention includes anelongated member I which is commonly referred to in the trade as a stickand which may be provided on each side thereof with a longitudinalgroove 2 for the reception of an adjustable block to be later described.At least the top surface of the stick I is preferably covered with asuitable smooth surface plate or member 3, a plastic materialbeinghighly desirable for this purpose. In the preferable embodiment, thesurface plate 3 would be white, thus presenting a' smooth, hard and verysanitary surface. For this purpose a thermoplastic such asnitrocellulose, for example, is satisfactory, although many otherplastics would also be suitable.

Upon the surface of the covering 3 is a scale li which may be printed,etched or otherwise placed on the surface of the element 3. This scale 4is marked off in indicia indicating shoe sizes. As illustrated, thescale 4 is disposed along one side edge of the stick, and along theopposite side edge of the stick a shorter scale is provided embodyingthe proper indicia for indicating widths of shoes.

At one end of the stick is a heel block 5 Vthat is permanently xed inposition relatively to the stick itself. This heel block may also besurfaced on each side thereof with plastic plates l-l of the samecharacter as the plate 3.

A movable block 8 is also associated with the stick, and this block maybe surfaced onl the front and rear sides as indicated at 9-9 withmaterial of the character of the plate 3. The movable block 8 carries aplate on each side thereof, a fixed plate lill held in place by screwsll entering the block 8, and a pivotally mounted plate l2 that may berocked about a horizontal axis on the smooth shanks of` screws i3engaged in the block. Each plate has an inwardly turned flange i4 at itslower margin that rides in the respective .grooves 2 of the stick l. Acoiled spring or the like l5 urges the upper portion of the plate l2outwardly away from the block B'to anchor its ilange i4 in the groove 2of the stick l and thus hold the blo-ck in a position of adjustment.When it is desired to move the block along the stick, it is a simpleexpedient to press in the upper portion of the plate I2 against theaction of the spring with the thumb, and thus release the engagement ofthe flange i4 permitting a movement of the block 8 longitudinally of thestick l to a new position of adjustment.

The block 8 carries a trailing scaleV IG which may be made of the samematerial as the plate 3 or which may be metal if so desired, and thisscale carries a pointer l1 at one side for associationY with the sizeindicating scale 4. The other side of the scale I6 is preferably beveleddownwardly as ,indicated at .i8 and carries thereon a width indicatingscale I9 for association with the scale 5 on the plate 3.

The foregoing includes all of the structure necessary in connection withthe instant invention, with the exception that an aperture 20 may beprovided adjacent the free end of the stick to facilitate hanging thestick when not in use.

In use, the instant invention is extremely simple and highly accurate.YAssuming that an individual customers foot is being measured, it is asimpleY expedient to place the foot on the stick with the heel engagingthe surface 'l-of the heel block 6, and the foot extending along theplate 3. With the foot in that position, it

. will be noted that the foot is contacting only fixed and relativelystationary surfaces. The clerk or attendant then moves the adjustableblock 8 into such position that the plate egon the inside thereofcontacts the toe of the foot. In this position, with the customer stillstanding upon the stick, the pointer il on the trailing scale I6 willindicate Vthe proper size of shoe for that particular foot by itsassociation with the size indicating scale In the instance illustratedin Fig. 2, the sizeof shoe for the assumed foot would be nine. Now itwill be further noted that while the customer is standing upon thestick, that indicatedfsize is'not only plainly visible to the attendantwithout the need of the customer removing the foot from the stick, butthe indicated size is also plainly visible to the customer.

Next, the proper width of shoe for that particular foot is measured. Inthis event, the customer disposes his foot transversely across the stickwith the rst metatarsal head contacting the plate 1 on the stationaryblock 6, and the movable block 8 is brought into position against thefifth metatarsal head of the foot. The size having been indicated as anine, the width reading is at once disclosed on the scale i9 oppositethe nine :indicationY on the scale 5. In the illustrated instance ofFig. 3, the proper width of shoe would be D. It is not necessary for thecustomer to remove his foot in order to plainly see the required Widthof shoe, which is visible on the measuring device to both the customerand the attendant. Thus, it has been easily and quickly ascertained thatthe proper size shoe for the assumed foot is a 9D.

It should be further noted that there is no danger of the customerdisturbing any setting of the scale by a movement of the foot during themeasuring operation. VThe foot itself contacts only stationary surfaces,and the foot may remain in position While the sizes are indicateddirectly by the top face of the plate 3, the movable block 8 being underthe control of the attendant at all times.

It will further be noted that the entire measuring device presentsaclean and sanitary appearance to the customer at all times, and it is asimple expedient to maintain the device in that.

condition. The device is very simple in construction, extremely simpleand accurate to use, and is highly durable. It will be furtherunderstood that theentire device may easily be made of a plasticmaterialsuch as is lused for the covering plates in the illustratedembodiment of the invention, if so desired. 5

It will, of course, be understood that various details of constructionmay be varied through ajwide range without departing from the princi-,-

ples of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limitthe patent granted herecn otherwise than necessitated by the scope ofthe appended claims. y

I claim as my invention:

1. A foot measuring and shoe size indicating device, comprising anelongated stick oi less width than the human foot, a pair ofcomplementary flat-faced upstanding blocks on said stick, one of saidblocks being xed to the stick adjacent an end thereof, the other blockbeing..

equal facility by both an operator and a cusV tomer simultaneously. Y

2. A foot measuring and shoe size indicating device, comprising anelongated stick of less witdh than the human foot, a pair ofcomplementary flat-faced V-upstanding blocks on-said stick, one of saidblocks being xed to the stick adjacent an end thereof, the other blockbeing along one margin ofsaid stick, another scale along the oppositemargin of said stick, a trailing member carried by said slidable blockof a wiidth substantially equal toi the distance between the scales ofsaid stick, a pointer extending from one side of said memberY forcooperation with said length scale, said member being sharply jcut awaybehind said pointer, and a beveled scale on the opposite side ofl saidmember for coop/eration with the otherstick scale to denotev the widthof a shoe, the indicia of all said scales being positioned relatively tothe long axis of the stick as to be readable with equal facility by bothan operator and a custoier simultaneously.

JAMES S. DGATE,

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number Name l Date Adler:HSefpt. 17, 1895 Hertzler -lSept. 13, 1904 Ritz-Woller Sept. 16, 1916Wheeler Apr 14, 1936 Brannock Apr 27, 1937 Brown jill/[ay 7, 1940 Clarke@Feb. 5, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Dec. 17, 1936

